alternate

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin alternātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin alternō (“to take turns”) (see -ate (1,2 and 3)), from alternus (“one after another, by turns”), from alter (“other”) + -nus. Doublet of altern; see also alter. === Pronunciation === All senses (Indic) IPA(key): /ɔlʈə(r).neʈ/ Adjective, noun (UK) IPA(key): /ɒlˈtɜː(ɹ).nət/, /ɔːlˈtɜː(ɹ).nət/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈɔl.tɚ.nət/, /ˈɑl.tɚ.nət/ Verb (UK) IPA(key): /ˈɒl.tə(ɹ)ˌneɪt/, /ˈɔːl.tə(ɹ)ˌneɪt/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈɔl.tɚ.neɪt/, /ˈɑl.tɚ.neɪt/ === Adjective === alternate (not comparable) Happening by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; first one and then the other (repeatedly). (heraldry) Alternating; (of e.g. a pair of tinctures which a charge is coloured) succeeding in turns, or (relative to the field) counterchanged. (mathematics) Designating the members in a series, which regularly intervene between the members of another series, as the odd or even numbers of the numerals; every other; every second. (US) Other; alternative. (botany, of leaves) Distributed singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence ==== Usage notes ==== According to the OED and other sources, the meaning "alternative" is mainly American English, it is thus thought better not to use it this way in International English. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== alternation alternative ==== Translations ==== === Noun === alternate (plural alternates) That which alternates with something else; vicissitude. (US) A substitute; an alternative; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty. (mathematics) A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means. (US) A replacement of equal or greater value or function. ==== Translations ==== === Verb === alternate (third-person singular simple present alternates, present participle alternating, simple past and past participle alternated) (transitive) To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly. (intransitive) To happen, succeed, or act by turns; to follow reciprocally in place or time; followed by with. (intransitive) To vary by turns. (transitive, geometry) To perform an alternation (removal of alternate vertices) on (a polytope or tessellation); to remove vertices (from a face or edge) as part of an alternation. ==== Synonyms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === variant === References === === Further reading === “alternate”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. The Manual of Heraldry, Fifth Edition, by Anonymous, London, 1862, online at [2] “alternate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “alternate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “alternate”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. == Italian == === Etymology 1 === ==== Verb ==== alternate inflection of alternare: second-person plural present indicative second-person plural imperative === Etymology 2 === ==== Participle ==== alternate f pl feminine plural of alternato ==== Adjective ==== alternate f feminine plural of alternato === Anagrams === alterante, talentare == Latin == === Verb === alternāte second-person plural present active imperative of alternō == Spanish == === Verb === alternate second-person singular voseo imperative of alternar combined with te